Sep 7, 2026, 1:51 PM ET

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane touched the ball 305 times in 2025, and team beat reporter Kyle Crabbs believes another 300-plus touches are on the table again in Miami's new-look offense. Appearing on NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov on Monday, Crabbs acknowledged that the mobility of quarterback Malik Willis could cap Achane's targets after seeing 170 opportunities in the passing game over the past two seasons, but he believes the quality of targets could improve with more potential use out of the slot. Crabbs also profiles Miami as a run-heavy team, with Achane standing significantly above the rest of the team's runners, which include Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II. Achane is RotoBaller's RB11 and should be viewed as a locked-in RB1 option when the Dolphins travel to Vegas to face the Raiders in Week 1.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Kyle Crabbs

Sep 7, 2026, 1:46 PM ET

The Minnesota Twins announced on Monday that they reinstated right-hander Joe Ryan (glute) from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Garrett Acton to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Ryan is making his return to Minnesota's starting rotation for Monday's series opener on the road against the division-rival Detroit Tigers. The 30-year-old will be a pretty risky fantasy starter in his first game back in the big leagues after he threw only 42 pitches in his only minor-league rehab start. Ryan has been solid for fantasy managers in 2026, though, going 6-8 with a 3.65 ERA (3.42 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP with 138 strikeouts and 27 walks in 125 2/3 innings pitched across his 23 starts in his sixth big-league season with the team. In his lone start this year against the Tigers, Ryan picked up his first win of the year on April 6, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits while walking three and striking out seven in five innings of work. Now that Ryan is back and recovered from his glute injury, he could be a key asset for fantasy managers seeking a championship.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Minnesota Twins

Sep 7, 2026, 1:40 PM ET

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (soreness) continues to deal with general soreness, and after he was seen working with trainers during the media accessible portion of Monday's practice, head coach Dave Canales declined to offer an update on his status. Canales told reporters on Thursday that he was "very optimistic" about Brooks' availability for Week 1, and when asked on Monday if that remained the case, he said he "hopes so." The Panthers host the Bears to open the 2026 season, and with the first official injury report to be released on Wednesday, Brooks' status will need to be monitored, as he has become a popular breakout candidate in what had looked to be the first fully healthy season of his professional career.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Mike Kaye

Sep 7, 2026, 1:36 PM ET

After seven second-place finishes in the 2026 season, Christopher Bell earned his first career victory of the year at the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Bell started from 11th, but showcased that he had one of the fastest cars of the field early on as he climbed up to fourth by the end of the first stage. In the second stage, Bell took advantage of tire strategy by running more laps under green-flag conditions, then passing other drivers on fresher tires after stopping on pit road. This strategy paid off as he eventually passed the whole field to win the second stage over Kyle Larson. In the final stage, Bell had to work his way back to the front after his pit crew lost positions due to a slow stop during the stage break. Midway through the stage, he was chasing after Larson again and then eventually dueled with his teammate, Chase Briscoe, before rain stopped the race on lap 338. After the rain stopped and the race resumed, Bell pitted for tires for the final run, but lost a few positions as drivers stayed out on older tires. However, Bell went through all of them in a short amount of time before spending the rest of the race chasing after and eventually passing Larson on lap 356. From there, Bell held off Ty Gibbs and went on to get his first Cup Series win at Darlington. Bell is now second in The Chase standings after 27 races and is only 12 points behind Denny Hamlin for the championship lead.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 7, 2026, 1:35 PM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs finished as the runner-up in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Gibbs started the race from deep in the field in 28th, after qualifying was canceled on Saturday due to weather. Gibbs did not carry much of a presence towards the front throughout most of the race until the final stage. He spent most of the first stage recovering from his deep starting spot, but made it all the way to 10th by the end of the stage to score one stage point. In the second stage, he continued to run between the top 15 and top 10 throughout the entire stage, but fell short of earning more stage points as he placed 11th at the end of the stage. The final stage saw Gibbs make moves through the field and take advantage of tire strategies to move up through the field. By the end of the race, he moved up into the top five, passing Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, and others on the way. On the final run to the finish, Gibbs moved past Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson and spent the final few laps chasing Christopher Bell. Ultimately, Gibbs could not make up the gap to Bell in the closing laps and settled for second, a new career-best finish at Darlington. With his second-place run, Gibbs is now sixth in The Chase standings and sits 39 points behind first.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 7, 2026, 1:34 PM ET

Tyler Reddick did not win the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, but still had a strong performance with a great finish. Reddick began the race from the pole position after practice, and qualifying was canceled due to weather on Saturday. In the first stage, Reddick lost the lead to Daniel Suarez and then Denny Hamlin, but regained it on lap 29 by passing Hamlin. He lost it again to Hamlin through the first stage, but eventually nabbed it again and went on to win the first stage. In the second stage, Reddick continued to lead the race until midway through the stage during a pit stop sequence, when he lost the lead to his teammate, Bubba Wallace. Reddick's final pit stop of the second stage was slow as his pit crew struggled to complete it, causing him to lose positions on track and eventually end the stage in ninth. In the final stage, Reddick returned to the top five, but was unable to get back to the lead. The first half of the final stage saw him run behind Kyle Larson, while in the second half, he fell behind Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs. Reddick made it up to third and passed Larson, but was unable to pass Bell and Gibbs, leaving him with another third-place finish after placing third at Daytona last week. The No. 45 Toyota driver is now fourth in The Chase standings and sits 29 points behind first after 27 races this season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 7, 2026, 1:33 PM ET

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson had an uphill battle at Darlington Raceway, but finished fifth and had a shot at winning the Cook Out Southern 500. Larson's uphill battle started from the beginning when he was given a starting position of 25th after qualifying was canceled due to weather. The No. 5 Chevrolet driver spent the entire first stage making up positions, but only reached 13th and failed to score stage points. In the second stage, Larson took a contrarian strategy of running out longer before pitting during green-flag pit sequences. This paid off as the tire advantage Larson gained over other drivers moved him up to second at the end of the stage behind Christopher Bell. In the final stage, Larson led on the restart after coming out first after pit stops during the stage break. Larson led through most of the stage until a lap 317 caution caused him to lose the lead on pit road to Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe. The Hendrick driver lingered behind these two until the race was stopped for rain on lap 338. Once the rain went away, Larson decided to stay out on older tires for track position on the race's final run. Larson held the lead until lap 356, when Bell passed him and then fell back to fifth as he was unable to hold off other drivers on older tires until the race ended. After the 27th race of the season, Larson remains seventh in The Chase standings, but cut the gap to first down to 49 points with nine races left before the championship.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 7, 2026, 1:32 PM ET

Denny Hamlin entered the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway as the No. 1 Seed for The Chase, but ended the race with the championship lead despite a big setback. Hamlin began the race from the fourth position after qualifying was canceled due to weather. The No. 11 Toyota driver started strong, as he went ahead and took the lead from Daniel Suarez and Tyler Reddick early in the first stage before Reddick took it back on lap 29. Hamlin took the lead back from Reddick later on in the stage on lap 45 and kept leading until later in the stage, when Reddick regained the lead again. From there, Hamlin went on to finish the first stage in third, behind Reddick and his teammate Bubba Wallace, who passed Hamlin before the stage ended under caution. In the second stage, Hamlin failed to reacquire the lead, but ran in the top five through most of the stage outside of pit stops. He went on to finish the stage in third and gained eight more stage points. During the stage break before the final stage, Hamlin's pit crew had a slow pit stop with trouble on the right-rear tire, causing him to lose positions. Then, on lap 241, Hamlin made contact with the wall and with Michael McDowell, causing him to lose plenty of speed due to damage. Hamlin fell two laps down after losing the pace, while his team took time to repair the damage. Hamlin spent the rest of the race trying to recover positions, but he finished 18th. Despite his underwhelming finish, Hamlin maintains the championship lead by 12 points ahead of Christopher Bell after the 27th race of the season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 7, 2026, 1:26 PM ET

Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver Chris Bell saw five targets in roughly 10 minutes of game time in his lone preseason appearance, and team beat reporter Kyle Crabbs believes the team's concerted effort to get him involved could be a precursor of things to come in the regular season. Appearing on NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov on Monday, Crabbs noted that he saw Bell as a top 50 talent in the 2026 NFL draft, describing him as a "run-after-catch monster". Bell is still playing catch-up after spending most of the spring and summer rehabbing from the torn ACL that ended his collegiate career, but Crabbs believes his versatility could lead to designed targets early in the year with the potential for significant growth. With an injury-depressed ADP causing him to go undrafted in a number of leagues throughout the summer, Bell has a path to becoming the Dolphins' top wide receiver and should be viewed as a top waiver priority wherever he's still available.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Kyle Crabbs

Sep 7, 2026, 1:19 PM ET

San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (forearm) will come off the 60-day injured list to start Monday's series opener against the visiting Washington Nationals at Petco Park, manager Craig Stammen told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. It will be Pivetta's first major-league outing since April 12. The 33-year-old veteran has been cleared to return to San Diego's starting rotation for the stretch run after throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in a minor-league rehab start on Aug. 30 with Triple-A El Paso. He was able to throw 64 pitches in that outing, and while Pivetta will be a part of the Friars' rotation as they seek a playoff spot in the National League, he will most likely be on a short leash in his return on Monday and therefore will not be a recommended streaming option for fantasy managers. Pivetta is currently rostered in 75% of Yahoo leagues despite having made only four starts in 2026. In those four starts, the Canadian hurler went 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched. The 10-year MLB veteran had a career year in 2025 in his first year in SD, going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA (3.49 FIP) and 0.98 WHIP with a career-high 190 strikeouts and 50 walks in 181 2/3 innings across his 31 regular-season starts.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com - AJ Cassavell

Sep 7, 2026, 1:12 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (undisclosed), who missed time last week with what head coach Todd Bowles described as a minor injury, was not spotted during Monday's practice, according to beat writer Rick Stroud. Following rumors of a potential split from the team, Tucker recently agreed to a pay cut and is again a candidate to see significant goal-line usage after leading the Buccaneers with seven rushing touchdowns in 2025. The Buccaneers open the 2026 season with a road game against the Bengals, and with the first official injury report of the season set for release on Wednesday, Tucker's status will need to be monitored, as, to this point, the nature of his injury has not been disclosed.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Rick Stroud

Sep 7, 2026, 1:10 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (knee) was seen practicing on Monday, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. In addition to McMillan, fellow wideout Emeka Egbuka (toe) was on the field, which means the team's top three wideouts -- Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., and McMillan -- could all be active for Week 1 this Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Cincinnati Bengals. That would be great news for quarterback Baker Mayfield in a potential shootout as he looks to get out of the gate strong following a disappointing 2025 campaign. McMillan did not play at all in the preseason due to his knee injury, but there is optimism that he will be available this weekend in the regular-season opener. The 24-year-old played in only four games last year due to a serious neck injury that he suffered in the preseason, but he had an impressive 37-461-8 line in 13 games played as a rookie in 2024, and he should have a bigger role this year with Mike Evans no longer around. Still, McMillan will need to hold off rising young receiver Ted Hurst III in a new offense in 2026. McMillan is currently rostered in only 16% of Yahoo leagues and is shaping up as a deep-league sleeper for his Week 1 matchup against the Bengals if he plays this weekend.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Rick Stroud

Sep 7, 2026, 1:08 PM ET

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, there is a "real possibility" Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua does not face any suspension during the 2026 season. This news comes after the star wideout was not placed on the Commissioner Exempt List the past week. The 25-year-old is facing a civil lawsuit and was subject to potential discipline from the league. However, it appears Nacua will avoid any missed time due to legal issues ahead of the new season. Schefter also noted that Nacua is progressing well from the psoas soreness that sidelined him at times during the later stages of camp. Last season, Nacua turned in a dominant effort, catching 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns, and should carry this momentum into his season opener on Thursday against the 49ers. When active, Nacua carries elite WR1 upside and has a clear path to finishing the season as the top fantasy asset.--Andy Smith
Source: Adam Schefter

Sep 7, 2026, 1:04 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (toe) is practicing on Monday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Pewter Report reports that Egbuka is "participating in warmups and running routes." It is a good sign to see Egbuka doing something on the field on Monday after he was limited to side work last week. However, the 23-year-old could just be limited and may need to upgrade to a full practice before the end of the week before the Bucs clear him to play in the Week 1 season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jalen McMillan (knee) was also practicing on Monday, so Tampa could have all three of their top wideouts available against Cincy this weekend, in addition to veteran Chris Godwin Jr. That would be good news for quarterback Baker Mayfield in a game in which the Bucs may need to open up the passing playbook in order to keep pace with the Bengals' explosive offense. If Egbuka is cleared to play later this week, fantasy managers should consider him a low-end WR2 option to kick off the season. The Bucs will release their first official practice report of 2026 on Wednesday.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Rick Stroud